


Knowing Me, Knowing You

by tour_treasure



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-23
Updated: 2011-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-27 21:24:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/300188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tour_treasure/pseuds/tour_treasure
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James is finally getting to meet Robbie's family though now he's starting to think it's not such a good idea after all....</p>
            </blockquote>





	Knowing Me, Knowing You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dkwilliams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dkwilliams/gifts).



> Spoilers for Season 1.  
> 'knew' is a biblical euphemism for sex

“If you don’t want to come, Jim, you don’t have to.”

Robbie’s words hung in the air like an ultimatum long after the man himself had left the room. James couldn’t get them out of his head, and he wondered if they had been meant that way or if he had just read way too much into them as he was prone to do.

When the topic had first come up he’d been almost eager to meet Robbie’s family in a non-work capacity, but now the festive period was looming large he’d started to get cold feet. Reality had begun to sink in and that was when the trouble had started. He’d met them before, of course, but as Detective Sergeant Hathaway and nothing more. Now they’d be meeting him as something more than just a colleague and they might object.

He’d felt awkward bringing this up with Robbie, so he’d just kept it to himself. Apparently he hadn’t been as successful at that as he’d thought. He leant back in his chair and pondered his predicament. James didn’t want Robbie to think he’s changed his mind about their relationship but he wasn’t sure that he was ready to take this step. Not any more.

For the past two days he’d had this knot of tension in his stomach that refused to go away. All he’d been able to think about were all the things that could go wrong. Their working relationship hadn’t exactly gotten off to the most auspicious start. He was so thankful that had changed but it didn’t mean his relationship with Robbie’s children wouldn't repeat that earlier scenario.

For the past week he’d woken in the middle of the night in a cold sweat convinced that this introduction would end badly. The first night, he’d been convinced they’d have a problem with the fact that they worked together and he was Robbie’s subordinate. The following night it had been the age gap between them and the next it had been the fact that James was male. He got a headache just thinking about all the things that could go wrong.

What if they disliked it so much Robbie ended their relationship? James got up from his chair suddenly needing to do something other than sit there. Movement provided him with something else to focus on so he could push the memories back down again. It’d been a long while since he’d been so worried about meeting a lover’s family.

James slipped into the gents and splashed water on his face in the vain hope that it would make him feel more like his usual self and less like his world was about to come crashing down around his ears. He gripped the edges of the sink and became aware of how his breathing had quickened. Robbie had confessed that James would be the first person of significance he'd introduced to his children since their mother’s death.

No pressure at all then!

James was over-thinking this, that was all. There was no reason to think things would change, let alone resemble one of the worst-case scenarios that had been plaguing him all week. He didn’t need to torture himself this way. Just because he hadn't done the whole meet-the-family thing for a while and it had gone badly didn’t meant this would repeat that pattern. After all Robbie's children knew he'd previously been contemplating the priesthood so it couldn't come as a surprise. He had a brief flashback to the first time he'd met the parents of the guy he'd been involved with and how awkward it had been to see them again when he'd been there with Robbie interviewing them about their son's murder. That case had been the first time that Robbie had learnt things about James that he'd rather have kept hidden. Unfortunately it hadn't been the last and he'd endured some awkward conversations as a result. They'd gotten through that; this should be no different.

James hit the button on the hand dryer and shoved his hands underneath so the hot air could blow over them. He didn’t need to torture himself with memories of the various women who had thrown themselves at Robbie. His Inspector was an attractive man, there was no denying that, and it wasn’t as if the flirtation had gone anywhere since they’d been together.

He was worrying about nothing. Robbie had told him as much the one time he’d tried to broach the issue. He’d been so jealous the first time a case had brought him face-to-face with one of Robbie’s exes. Her husband might just have been murdered, and he might have spent the night there, but when he’d seen her walking around Robbie’s house in her pyjamas it had gotten too much for him to handle.

If the correct behaviour hadn’t been so ingrained in him he might have lost it with her then, but he’d managed to hold it together. Just like he had when he’d discovered Robbie had been stood next to Turnbull when the other man had been shot. A row might have done them good but instead all he’d done was make snide comments and fume in silence.

Significant others were things they had never discussed in any great detail. Sure, Robbie talked about Morse, the man and the cop, but he never really talked about their relationship. For all James knew, Robbie’s children might have despised Morse and he’d never win them over.

He headed to the pub in the desperate hope that the familiar environment would help. He took his pint and sat where he normally did when he was with Robbie. The familiarity did nothing to soothe his jangling nerves; instead, the only thing it did was remind him that Morse had brought Robbie to this place.

Would he never escape the ghosts that haunted their relationship? Maybe they were destined to strangle the life out of their relationship. James didn’t want that to happen, he wanted to cling tightly to what they had and never let go.

Hours later and after more pints than was probably advisable, he stood outside Robbie’s front door. He banged on it before he could think better of it and change his mind. When Robbie opened the door he was bleary-eyed and not overly impressed at being woken up. “What time do you call this?”

“Can I come in?” James asked.

Robbie ran a tired hand over his face but nodded all the same. He followed Robbie until they were in the lounge and then he made an uncharacteristic lunge at the older man. Their lips had barely met before he felt Robbie’s hands firm against his chest, applying pressure. “James,” Robbie protested.

“I’m sorry, I-”

“It’s all right. Just... talk to me?”

James ran a hand over his face and then through his hair before he rubbed nervously at his chest. It had seemed like a good idea to come here at the time, but now that he was actually here he was having second thoughts. It seemed to be a bit of a reoccurring theme. “Sir, I-”

“Jim!” Robbie protested sharply.

It’d been a while since he’d addressed Robbie as ‘Sir’ outside the office. James used to do it a lot in the beginning, when things had been sporadic kisses and one slightly drunken fumble, but not since it had turned into something more permanent. It might be a more familiar term of address and allow him to put some distance between the conversation and his emotions but would only serve to make Robbie uncomfortable. “Sorry s-” he caught himself before he could say it a second time.

“What _is_ going on?” Robbie asked, frustrated.

James wasn’t sure how to broach the subject without it turning into a conversation he didn’t want to have. He watched Robbie, uncertain, and hoped for some sort of hint that would tell him how this needed to go. He wondered how many others had seen Robbie this way and felt a need to reaffirm the status of their relationship.

James leant forward to brush his lips against Robbie’s and this time he felt a hand come up to rest on the back of his neck. He deepened the kiss and revelled in the fact that Robbie let him lead. He closed his eyes and for a moment allowed himself to indulge in the fantasy that was perfect. “Are you in a state because you think I won't love my lodger anymore after tomorrow?” Robbie finally asked when James still said nothing.

 

The question shattered James’ illusion of perfection and he sighed. Every other time Robbie had brought it up James had brushed it aside but he wasn’t sure if he’d be allowed to do that again. “What if they don’t like me?” he asked quietly. “What if they don’t like the change in our relationship?”

Lips pressed against his cheek. “I was really worried you’d changed your mind.”

It almost would’ve been easier if he had. At least then he would’ve been prepared for the outcome; now it could come as a surprise. “They know what’s going on with us; I didn’t just drop this on them yesterday. They’ll be fine about it.”

The words should have reassured him, should’ve undone the knot of tension in his stomach, but they didn’t. A hand came up to caress his cheek before arms came around him to hold him close. “You know me, Jim, I’m not one for taking risks.”

“I wouldn’t say that this was without risks,” James responded.

He bent his head and breathed in Robbie’s musky scent as heat seeped into his body. It had been a really long week. A difficult case and nights spent apart weren’t what he needed right now. “Do you want to know me?” James asked.

“Always,” Robbie murmured as altered his hold.

“I want you to know me,” James confessed.

Robbie pressed a kiss to James'cheek and moved back. Robbie’s eyes met his and for a moment James was afraid that he would be pushed away. Instead he felt a hand take his and James allowed himself to be led to the bedroom. Hands stripped him slowly out of his suit as his own struggled to undo Robbie’s buttons.

It took longer than normal to strip Robbie down and the hands that were touching him kept distracting James from his task. He was surprised when Robbie began to kiss his way down his body. It made him stiffen and even when a hand stroked at his stomach James didn’t relax. He shifted nonetheless to try and bring Robbie back up because what James really wanted right now were kisses. “You don’t have to be all biblical about it.”

“We’re about to get biblical,” James countered.

“That we are,” Robbie agreed and returned his attention to the matter at hand.


End file.
